Texas Tech vs Oklahoma NCAA 2014

BIG 12 CONFERENCE MATCHUP 

TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS VS OKLAHOMA SOONERS (-9)

ODDS: BET365

The Oklahoma Sooners (18-6) welcome conference rivals Texas Tech (12-11) into Lloyd Noble Center tonight for a Big 12 conference showdown. With tip-off scheduled for 8PM EST the Red Raiders look to build on their current two game win streak, but not if Oklahoma has anything to do with it. The Sooners are 4-1 in games at home this season and 7-4 in all conference games played this year. Oddsmakers opened the line with Sooners as 10-point favourites but the betting public has since pounced on the Red Raiders moving the line to 9 for Oklahoma. This to me remains a mystery because I love the Sooners in this game, and here is why; 

Oklahoma has been one of the highest scoring teams in the entire country this year. They are 9th in the nation averaging 83.8 points per game and in their last four home games have won by an average of 10 points. This to me is quite impressive considering the last four opponents they hosted were Baylor, Oklahoma State, TCU and Iowa State; teams of which combine for a overall 57-35 record on the season. 

Watch for the Red Raiders to attempt to slow the pace of the game down in an attempt to make it both a low scoring affair and all about defense. They enter this game holding opponents to an average 68.6 points per game and will have to do just that if they have any shot of keeping this game close. I say this because they are 1-6 in conference games this year when they allow opponents to score 65 points or more. The unfortunate thing about that is it is nearly impossible to limit the Sooners to those types of numbers. Oklahoma hasn’t been held below 77 points at home since conference play began, and have failed to score 75 points or more in only three of their twenty-four games played this season. Meanwhile, its hard to overlook the fact they have scored 75 points or more against three of the top five defensive teams in the Big 12 already this year.

If this game was being played at Texas Tech it would be a whole other story. But given the circumstances and home court advantage betting against one of the best offensive teams in the country seems unreasonable. Take the Sooners with confidence tonight, I expect them to win handily; you should too. 

TRENDS 

TEXAS TECH 

OKLAHOMA

• 4-1 against the spread in their last 5 games overall